Kalihi’s Kapalama Shopping Center on Dillingham Boulevard has a new Vietnamese player in the mix. Banh Mi'licious has quietly opened in the complex, serving pho, banh mi sandwiches and fresh spring and summer rolls to nearby workers and families. The compact counter-service cafe offers limited dine-in seating and daytime hours, setting itself up as an easy lunch and dinner option built around a house-simmered broth and a signature sandwich stacked with pâté and house pickles.
Menu highlights and prices
The namesake Banh mi'licious sandwich runs $15 and comes loaded with creamy pâté, mayo, sweet onions, house pickles, cucumbers, jalapeños and a house sauce. Diners can tack on sun-kissed crackle pork or lemongrass chicken for an extra $1, or beef brisket for $1.75. A bowl of beef pho is priced at $18.50, with an oxtail pho upgrade at $25. Appetizers include summer rolls at $12.50 and spring rolls at $11.50, as reported by Aloha State Daily.
Owner and kitchen
Owner Jasmin Nguyen Huff leans on family recipes and keeps much of the operation scratch-based. Hawaii News Now reports she simmers the beef bone broth for about 12 hours, then lets it rest for another five to deepen the flavor. According to the same report, the cafe brings in baguettes from a local supplier while Huff handles sauces and pickles in-house.
Kapalama location and neighborhood context
Banh Mi'licious occupies a storefront in the Kapalama Shopping Center near Waiakamilo Road, a site listed in the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s Shop & Dine directory, per HART. The Dillingham Boulevard corridor has been squeezed by prolonged utility and rail-related construction that business owners say has cut into foot traffic. Civil Beat has examined the limits of city mitigation grants for businesses along Dillingham, offering context for the headwinds facing new and longtime cafes in the area.
Practical info
Banh Mi'licious is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The listed contact number is 808-252-4158, and the business is on Instagram at @banhmilicioushawaii. For photos and the full menu, see coverage from Aloha State Daily.
